


Amateur Hour

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s03e20 The Black Vera Wang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-01
Updated: 2003-05-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15113681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "How could I have been so stupid?"





	Amateur Hour

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Amateur Hour**  
**by:** Kasey

**Character(s):** Sam  
**Category(s):** POST-EP: The Black Vera Wang  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** not mine, gonna go sit down and cry.  
**Summary:** "How could I have been so stupid?"  
**Author's Note:** A BIG ole thanks to Flip, for helping get the ending right.

I can't make it stop. 

In my head, I mean, all the news coverage and Bruno and the scolding from Toby I'm about to get and the things Josh is about to say like he says them when he's trying to be gentle on me 'cause we were friends long before we worked for the President, in my head it's all swirling around and giving me a headache. 

How could I have been so stupid? 

I'm not an amateur at this anymore, I've been doing this long enough to know that sometimes we get played - Toby and Anne Stark come to mind. And I knew Ken was working for Richie, I knew it, I knew it from the beginning - in fact, he called me the day he got the gig. 

So why didn't I realize it? 

Why didn't I realize I was being played like a two-dollar banjo? Why did I jump in to fill in what was on the ad, not allowing him to show whether or not he really had seen it? Why did I take the damn LUNCH for crying out loud? Bruno told me not to, so logically- 

Well, that could be *one* reason I took it. 'Cept I'm not rebellious like that, which is why I would be surprised if somewhere deep in my subconscious that was the reason. 

I should resign. 

I really should, at this point, I've...cost the President a lot of bad publicity, several news cycles worth, plus given the Richie campaign plenty of fuel for their fire which is burning too well already. 

The President won't take it. He'll say we're family and he's kept everyone else when they've screwed up and he won't let me resign over something like this, he'll say he kept CJ after Haiti and he kept CJ after the fiasco with "under legal obligation" vs. not and he kept Toby after Anne Stark and he kept Toby after whatever the hell it was Toby said after Iowa and he kept Josh two Christmases ago and he kept Josh after Mary Marsh and he kept me after Laurie and so he should keep me now. 

It doesn't mean he should. But he will. 

And I serve at the pleasure of the President. So here I will be until he says otherwise. For better or for worse. 

Let's sure as hell hope for "better" - much worse and we're done for. 


End file.
